Water levels in reservoirs at 10-year low

TNN|

Jun 27, 2009, 06.35 PM IST

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NEW DELHI: In what promises to be a threat to the Kharif crop, water level in most of the reservoirs in India continue to stay below the ten-year average. While the weatherman has promised rains in the north in the coming weeks, pressure on state governments continued to build to look at contingency plans.

In the northwest, where the IMD has warned that monsoon may be the worst (81% of normal long-term average), the Bhakra Nangal dam recorded just 9% of the capacity of the full reservoir limit compared to 44% in the previous year and 25% recorded as the 10-year average.

While the threat of hydropower generation being hit also remained a concern, the falling reservoir levels are bound to give a headache to governments in states like Punjab and Haryana where the dependence on irrigation network for agriculture is very high.

The Tehri dam, which is also the source for 300 cusecs water to the Sonia Vihar plant in Delhi, has seen water levels dipping to an all-time low at just 1% of its total capacity and one-eighth of the 10-year average. Data released by Central Water Commission showed the effects of monsoon failure in June even in the Deccan plateau with water in the Nagarjunasagar dam reservoir, meant to irrigate a whopping 895,000 hectares, at just half the 10-year average.

Water and agriculture officials from states had attended meetings in Delhi over the last couple of days where they apprised the Centre of the situation at the field level. The Cabinet has also constituted a committee of secretaries headed by the cabinet secretary to oversee the food, agriculture and water situation.

The government had claimed on Thursday that the situation was still manageable with the weatherman maintaining that monsoon was picking up thrust and July-August could see decent rains for most areas that would compensate for the dry June. Delhi is expected to get its first monsoon rains in the first week of July.

Farmers in the food bowl of Punjab and Haryana would be hoping for the reservoirs to fill up before paddy sowing begins in right earnest.